Black Phantom
Active member
Sounds familiar.
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Car Quiver & Tires
- Thread starter billski
- Start date
Sounds familiar.
Like TownFair tire making you get a 4 wheel alignment? I've been using DirectTire lately and they don't do all that BS and prices are pretty much inline with what you get a TownFair. Though they did forget to balance my tires once. Noticed as soon as I got on the highway, they fixed it no prob, but it did kill an afternoon.
Puck it
Well-known member
Worse, you had to buy the premium 4 wheel alignment which was like unlimited for 3 years for $200. I forget the details.
Last set of tires I got, were from Townfair and come to think of it, I had to pay for an alignment as well. It still came out to be a pretty good deal though.
I'll probably have my local mechanic do the next set. Might cost a bit more, but I'd rather give him the business for taking such good care of my car over the past 3 years.
I'll probably have my local mechanic do the next set. Might cost a bit more, but I'd rather give him the business for taking such good care of my car over the past 3 years.
Yikes!
Puck it
Well-known member
I know, it still saved some money, but it was no where near the Buy 2 get 2 free headline!!!!
riverc0il
New member
TownFair advertises free alignments with purchase. Is that not accurate?
Front wheel. I have a subaru and they wouldn't let me get tires without a 4 wheel alignment.
Puck it
Well-known member
Two wheel only is free.
riverc0il
New member
Ah. Should a front wheel drive car get all four wheels? Or is the four wheel alignment only beneficial to those with rear or all wheel drive?
Trying to figure out where to get the tires from at this point. TownFair "price matches" online (with S&H of course, that is fine) but then you need to pay $100 or so for the "online package" which negates the price match. But they throw in a bunch of freebies. Sounds like even the freebies have strings attached. Might be worth just having them shipped in and mounting them locally.
Trying to figure out where to get the tires from at this point. TownFair "price matches" online (with S&H of course, that is fine) but then you need to pay $100 or so for the "online package" which negates the price match. But they throw in a bunch of freebies. Sounds like even the freebies have strings attached. Might be worth just having them shipped in and mounting them locally.
At some point when you are talking $20-30 either way, convenience takes over. I like where I go, it might cost me slightly more, but they are on the way to work so I can just stop and get whatever taken care of in the morning.
Honestly, it depends.
I've never had good luck with Town Fair. The last time I went, I had to bring my wife's car back twice to reballance the wheels. They don't calibrate their machines often. And their sales guys work on comission. So you get the pitch for whatever they need to move.
Ask you local mechanic who does good alignments. I found that the small Ford Dealer in the town I work in has a brand new alignment machine. Cost me $60 to have the Jeep done. Money well spent. (I had to get it aligned after having a part on the steering replaced)
I had Town Fair align my car once. A couple of days later the tie-rod came off, while I was driving, around a sharp s-turn to the right. I managed to barely avoid oncoming traffic and park the car. I was lucky to not get hurt, but it did make me late for my date with my now wife... After having it towed I determined that they had mostly unscrewed the tie-rod from the steering rack as they were making adjustments. It popped off because it was just hanging on there by a thread. A fluke, maybe? But I never let them touch my car again.
Not all cars have alignment adjustments in the rear.
Damn! That coulda been a lot worse.
riverc0il
New member
Whoa. Gotta be a fluke or else they would be outta business. But I certainly wouldn't ever give my business again to a place that made that type of mistake.
I've been emailing back and forth with them trying to pin them down on the details of their "free" programs. Email response time is weird. Twice within 24 hours but once no response and had to follow up over a week later.
Any ways, free snow tire to summer tire replacement for the life of the tire is pretty damn cool. BUT I just found out you need to pay for balancing. Which I bet is going to be the same cost other places charge for the full monty. I'm waiting for a follow up on the details. But after B's story and having to hunt for the hidden details and fine print, I may just buy online and have my trusted local mechanic do the mounting.
Besides, now I have to decide tires or tire/wheel combo :roll: My all seasons are 225/45-17 but the standard wheel for the car is 205/55-16. Narrower is better in the snow so it makes sense to splurge for the wheels. Do shops charge less for swapping out wheels without having to install the tires? Probably have the shop do it, I know you can DIY wheels but I'd go for the alignment any ways. Seems like steel is the way to go for winter tires? Don't look as sharp but price plus function equals WIN!
ctenidae
Active member
My snows are mounted on a seperate set of wheels. The swap is about $30, though I'll warn you that a lot of garages won't swap wheels they didn't mount. Whether it's a liability issue, a laziness issue, or a bloody mindedness issue, I don't know.
Realistically you shouldn't need to get an alignment unless you just replaced steering or suspension parts. Having it checked periodically isn't a bad idea as it's an indication that parts are wearing out, or got damaged and need to be replaced. Having the car aligned twice a year is overkill IMHO.
rocojerry
Member
I just posted my slightly used winter tires onto the forum for sale thread --
http://forums.alpinezone.com/showthread.php?t=102262
If anyone has bought mounted used winters before, do you think I have them priced about right?
http://forums.alpinezone.com/showthread.php?t=102262
If anyone has bought mounted used winters before, do you think I have them priced about right?
hammer
Active member
Every time I'd ask my (former) local mechanic about an alignment he'd ask if I noticed any problems with the car pulling/drifting to one side. Not sure if there are other symptoms that an alignment is needed but on my 10YO car I haven't had one done in years and I have had no signs of abnormal tire wear.
FWIW...
